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$$ | Dublin North |
Close to the Abbey and Gate theaters, so there's no danger of missing a curtain call, this creative eatery focusing on contemporary food—with eclectic Mediterranean and Eastern influences—uses fresh local ingredients. It's very popular with the artistic and literary set. The venison with potato rösti and a red wine jus is a standout.
101 Talbot St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 1, Ireland
Known For
- Artsy clientele
- Pre-theater option
- Strong vegetarian choices
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch., Reservations essential
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$$$ | |
Stunning views over Howth Harbor are your first reward for choosing this impressive seafood restaurant located in the old yacht club building only a few yards from where local fishermen still land their catch. The open, modern interior is awash with light that pours in the huge windows—definitely get a seat beside one of these. There's a daring touch given to local seafood with specialties like fresh crab spring roll with tuna tataki. Castletownbere seared scallops is a house favorite, and the chowder here is a classic; they even do a mean loin of Wicklow spring lamb rack if you're all fished out.
1 West Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin, 13, Ireland
Known For
- Perfect rib eye
- Decadent desserts
- Friendly and attentive staff
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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$ | Dublin West |
The small menu at this tiny café in the middle of a quiet, off-the-beaten-track residential street emphasizes creative breakfasts and lunch (and brunch on the weekend) with a local twist. It's a good spot to sit and watch locals go about their everyday lives as you eat black rice quinoa porridge with coconut milk, miso, and banana or their wonderful spicy cannellini beans with chorizo, crème fraîche, and thyme. Don't leave without hitting up their devilishly tempting cake selection.
14b Emorville Ave., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland
Known For
- True neighborhood feel
- Healthy breakfasts
- Popular, so can be hard to get a table
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$ | Dublin South |
Head chef Alex Zhang has brought his own brand of daring Northern Chinese cuisine to this cool, new, city-center spot. The menu changes regularly, but the deep-fried duck wings tossed in secret seasoning and the fresh Irish lobster with tofu egg custard are typically thrilling dishes.
16 Aungier Street, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Innovative Chinese food
- Buzzing atmosphere
- Regular new dishes
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$ | Dublin North |
A delightful slow-food sanctuary within the Dublin dining scene, Brother Hubbard is a cozy, elegantly designed Northside café with a stripped-down but standout menu. The healthy emphasis is on fresh salads and soups with delicious twists; dishes tend to have a Middle Eastern feel, with an Irish touch here and there. It's strong on detail, from the muted tones and unobtrusive-but-striking modern design with elegant, cosy terrace, to the addition of cute little patterns in your cappuccino froth. The pea-and-mint soup with a dash of harissa oil is a perfect lunchtime treat. Try the flourless orange-and-almond cake for dessert.
153 Capel St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 1, Ireland
Known For
- Meze
- Guilty-pleasure cakes
- Great coffee
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun. and Mon.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$ | Southside |
One of the city center's best-situated spots for a bit of people-watching, this bustling, bohemian café emphasizes good, wholesome food. Organic ingredients play a prominent role on a menu that's laden with delicious salads and sandwiches. Try the grilled goat-cheese salad served with walnut-and-raisin toast and sun-dried-tomato tapenade on a bed of arugula. The delicious ploughman's sandwich—with Irish cheddar, vine tomatoes, branston pickle, and mayo served on brown bread—is a must.
41–42 S. William St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Grilled goat-cheese salad
- Ideal location for people-watching
- Bohemian buzz
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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$$ | Georgian Dublin |
The Japanese teppanyaki area at this classy Pan-Asian restaurant on bustling Baggot Street, where the chef cooks your food right on your tabletop, is a feast for the eye as well as the palate. The simplicity of the white walls and dark lacquered furnishings are enhanced by the delicate glassware and fine green-washed porcelain. The menu picks the best from Chinese, Thai, and Japanese dishes, with the Asian tapas a good eat-and-go option.
100 Lower Baggot St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Great fun with kids
- Live music some evenings
- Bustling atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekends
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$$$ | Dublin South |
With a stunning location right on the Grand Canal Dock, this elegant new eatery has a great view over the water to the impressive Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on the other side. The pre-theater menu is a great option, with heirloom beetroot with Wicklow blue cheese and candied walnuts as a gorgeous, light starter. The hake with celeriac, pomme mousseline, samphire, and sorrel is a favorite main.
Charlotte Quay Dock, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Great for larger groups
- Attentive and friendly staff
- Tempting desserts such as buttermilk and vanilla
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch Wed.--Fri.
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$$$ | Georgian Dublin |
When is a wine bar not just a wine bar? When it's also one of the city's most talked-about restaurants where you can drink or dine (tapas-style) at the bar, in the lush armchairs of the open-plan lounge, or in the more formal, restrained-modern dining room. The Roscoff onion tart is an adventurous starter, while the cold meat platter is a finger-lickin' little bar dish. The wine list is the envy of many a more expensive eatery, and with a couple of dozen wines poured by the glass you can dare to try something really special. There's a sister café in the same building with equally scrumptious offerings at a lower price point.
23 Pembroke St. Upper, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Impressive by-the-glass wines
- Relaxed atmosphere
- Great bar-food options
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Sat., Reservations essential
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$$ | Temple Bar |
The Elephant was long established in Temple Bar before the Tiger (Celtic, that is) came and went and changed the neighborhood forever. Large windows are great for people-watching in the city's trendiest area, but "nothing fancy" would be a good motto for the traditional American food. Charcoal-grilled burgers, salads, omelets, sandwiches, and pasta make up the much-thumbed menu. When the service is good, the turnover tends to be quick, although you may be inclined to linger. New Yorkers, take note: yes, this is a cousin of the restaurant of the same name in Greenwich Village.
18 Temple Bar, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Generous portions
- Family-friendly vibes
- Bustling Sunday brunch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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$$$ | Southside |
Former Michelin-star celebrity chef Dylan McGrath has another hit on his hands with Fade Street Social, a cavernous tapas bar, restaurant, and pub all rolled into one. At 8,000 square feet, the place can seem a bit overwhelming, but if you want a busy, fun, all-in-one dining-and-drinking experience, this place is ideal. Try a seat at the bar, where you can watch the kitchen staff work their magic as they turn out exquisite tapas and hearty but inventive meat dishes, all with a modern Irish twist. The whole poached pigeon is an original tapas offering, while the braised rabbit leg is already a favorite main.
4 Fade St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Amazing staff who go above and beyond
- Great selection of vegan dishes
- Inventive cocktails
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$$$ | Dublin South |
Its name is the Gaelic word for green, and all things local and natural are at the heart of Dublin's first high-end vegetarian restaurant. The brash, luxurious interior matches the daring menu, which includes barbecue celeriac with roast potato puree, cucumber, mint, and potato paper. Try the carrot sponge with spiced cream and pear and hay sorbet for dessert.
15/16 Chatham St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- High-end vegetarian dishes
- Lush interior
- Welcoming vibe
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.--Thurs.
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$ | Dublin North |
Recently voted the best café in the city, this busy little breakfast and lunch spot is the brainchild of former Avoca head chef Eimer Rainsford. Salads dominate the menu, with wonderful combinations to choose from for your salad box. Try the beetroot, apple, and quinoa or spiced potatoes with giant couscous and roasted peppers. Dressings or dips are equally creative like the yogurt with cumin and lemon. Other popular dishes include Asian noodles with broccoli, lime and chili. All that healthy eating probably earns you one of the killer chocolate brownies with raspberry and blackberry.
45 Pearse St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dubin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Interesting salads
- Great coffee
- Genuine service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$$ | Southside |
Foodie and fashionista couple Chloe Kearney and Niall McDermott returned from London to open this standout addition to the flourishing Ranelagh dining scene. Behind the minimalist white exterior lies a small but buzzing ambience and some inventive food with a Mediterranean twist. The menu is short but very adventurous: the lobster, crab, and kohlrabi is a stylish starter and the shiitake mushroom tagliolini a favorite main. Add delicious sides like broccoli with pomegranate and yogurt then finish with a dessert of ricotta cheesecake with black currant.
13 Ranelagh, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 6, Ireland
Known For
- Warm, attentive staff
- Every dish perfectly executed
- Can be hard to get a reservation
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch Sun.--Fri.
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$ | Temple Bar |
éThis buzzing café bar is a pleasant place for a lunchtime break. Sandwiches are large and delicious, with plenty of vegetarian choices, and the people-watching is unmatched.
6 Eustace St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Popular bar and café
- Glass-roofed courtyard
- Great refueling spot in the heart of Temple Bar
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$ | Dublin South |
Located in a nondescript building in Grand Canal Harbour, this stylish café is gaining a reputation for its impressive baked goods. Nearby tech workers flock here in hordes for the inventive salads, sandwiches, handmade pasta and focaccia romana, but it's the stunning array of cakes, tarts, and buns that really entice. Try the outrageous strawberry Charlotte or the explosion of color and taste that is the mango bavaroise.
5 Gallery Quay, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Value lunch offerings
- Decadent cakes
- Bustling atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$$ | |
Joan and Aidan MacManus's well-known seafood bar down by the harbor attracts many contemporary visitors to the old town. It's in a Georgian house, with the yacht marina and port on one side and sea views from which you can watch the boats land the very fish that might be tomorrow's special. A house specialty is the smoked haddock smokies, but lobster, caught just yards away in Balscadden Bay, is the big treat—it's best at its simplest, in butter sauce. Sitric was an 11th-century Norse king of Dublin who seemed to be very fond of Howth.
East Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin, 13, Ireland
Known For
- Warm, friendly atmosphere
- Fillet of turbot with crab mash and caviar cream sauce
- Tempura prawns
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch Wed.–Sat. No dinner Sun.
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$ | Dublin North |
Don't let the down-at-heels canteen decor put you off—this place has been around for a long time and is a master of the art of fish-and-chips. Their menu is full of seafood surprises like such Dublin favorites as cod and ray (or more unusual choices like mackerel) and you can even order a whole sea bass and rainbow trout. Kingfisher's huge Irish breakfasts have won awards, with all the meats sourced fresh from the owners' own farm. The Northside locals love this place and give it a lively community atmosphere.
166–168 Parnell St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 1, Ireland
Known For
- Homemade tartar sauce
- Friendly, warm atmosphere
- Great value menu
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$$$ | Southside |
This exceptional eatery just off George's Street lost a little of its intimacy when it expanded, but the crowds still come for authentic French food at a fair price. Start with 12 snails, fresh herbs, garlic, and pastis butter. For a main course, the slow-roasted pork belly with black pudding manages to be hearty and adventurous at the same time. Desserts have a devilishly childish touch to them—passion-fruit cake with white chocolate sauce is a typical example. Pop next door to Hogan's bar while you're waiting.
1 Fade St., Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Decadent desserts
- Great people-watching
- Tip-top service
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$$$ | Southside |
This Breton-inspired, unpretentious eatery has one of the most inviting and good-value menus in the city. The look is very much casual bistro, a satisfying backdrop for starters like the beet risotto with winter truffles, and such mouthwatering mains as the loin of venison with red cabbage and celeriac paste.
15 Castle Market, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
Known For
- Quality wine list
- Intimate atmosphere
- Irresistible chocolate fondant
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
